West Indies captain Stafanie Taylor will not travel to Pakistan for their three-match T20I series and will join the team only for the subsequent ODI series in Dubai. Taylor opted out of the T20Is due to security concerns. Merissa Aguilleira, who was the West Indies captain before Taylor took over, will lead the team in the T20Is. Aguilleira led West Indies in 144 matches - 74 ODIs and 70 T20Is - and was replaced by Taylor in September 2015, after a six-year stint at the helm.

Experienced medium-pacer Shakera Selman was named the vice-captain for the three T20Is. Allrounder Hayley Matthews was not part of the squad as she needs another three-four weeks to recover from the medial knee ligament damage that she had suffered during the WBBL in December. Uncapped Trinidad & Tobago offspinner Karishma Ramharack was named Matthews' replacement.

Jamaica's 21-year-old opening batsman Rashada Williams was picked in the squad for the first time. "Coming into the squad for the first time is young opening batter Rashada Williams from Jamaica, who has impressed the selectors with her solid technique and her ability to play spin, along with off-spinner Karishma Ramharack, who has been rewarded for her consistency in regional cricket," chairman of selectors Courtney Browne said.

West Indies will arrive in Dubai for a training and acclimatisation camp on January 26, before heading to Karachi on January 30, a day before the first T20I. This will be the second tour by a West Indies team to Pakistan in the last ten months after the men's team traveled to Karachi for three T20Is in April last year, which the visitors lost 3-0.